Eye Disease Diagnosis & Management in Vancouver

Protect Your Eye Health with Routine Eye Exams

We rely on our eyes every day, so we need to do everything we can to protect them from injury and disease. This protection includes routine eye exams on a schedule recommended by your optometrist.

Eye exams do more than just update your eyeglass prescription. They’re designed to detect early signs of eye diseases and give your optometrist the best chance to implement treatments before your vision or eye health is put at risk.

An estimated 5.59 million Canadians have an eye disease that can cause vision loss or blindness. But most vision loss caused by eye diseases can be avoided when an issue is caught and treated early.

Our team of knowledgeable eye care professionals at Vancouver Block Optometrists are devoted to preserving your vision for a lifetime through comprehensive eye care. Come see us for an eye exam soon.

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Common Eye Diseases

The 4 leading causes of blindness in Canada are eye diseases:

Cataracts
Age-related macular degeneration
Glaucoma
Diabetic retinopathy

These diseases often progress with no early warning signs, so even if your vision is stable and your eyes seem healthy, it’s essential to undergo regular eye exams.

Cataracts

Cataracts are the clouding of the eye’s natural lens. They’re often age-related and are most common in those over 60, but they can develop at any age. Looking through a cataract can be a lot like looking through frosted glass.

Early cataracts are often manageable with glasses, contact lenses, or magnifying aids, but surgery is the only way to completely remove a cataract.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that causes the slow breakdown of the macula, the part of the eye responsible for your sharp, central vision. AMD can lead to central vision loss and primarily affects those over 55.

AMD develops slowly and with few noticeable symptoms. However, the most common initial symptom is a dark or blurred spot in the central vision that can’t be corrected with glasses.

Treatments for early AMD include vitamin supplements and lifestyle changes, like increased exercise, sunglasses to reduce UV damage, and smoking cessation. Advanced AMD may be treated with medications injected into the eye.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that progressively damage the optic nerve. There are many types of glaucoma, but they can all cause irreversible vision loss or blindness if left untreated.

Learn more about glaucoma and how we screen for it during our eye exams on our Glaucoma page.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease related to diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when high blood sugar levels in the blood vessels cause blockages and bulges in the tiny blood vessels in the eyes.

At first, diabetic retinopathy may not cause any symptoms. But if left untreated, it can lead to vision changes, blurry vision, holes in your vision, vision loss, and blindness.

Early diabetic retinopathy doesn’t require treatment but will be monitored closely by your optometrist. As the disease advances, it may be treated with medicine injections, laser treatments, or surgery.

Book Your Eye Exam Today

If you have questions about eye diseases, treatments, and what we do to protect and preserve your vision, please reach out. We’re always happy to help. And of course, we would be happy to see you for an eye exam.